APT Proficiency Levels & Rubric/Scoring Guide

Test takers receive a score (Proficiency Level) for each section of the test. The Reading and Listening questions are scored automatically by the computer. The Writing and Speaking prompts are rated by Avant’s certified raters who use a Scoring Rubric (a scoring tool that lists the criteria for meeting Proficiency Levels).

The rubric outlines in detail what expectations are placed upon the test takers for performance at any given level. Test takers who hope to score at a specific level know the characteristics of the work they must produce to achieve that level. The rubric for the Arabic Proficiency Test is shown on the next below.

Proficiency Levels

Scoring is done using the following Proficiency Levels:

Novice-Low
Novice-Mid
Novice-High
Intermediate-Low
Intermediate-Mid
Intermediate-High
Advanced-Low
Advanced-Mid
Advanced-High
Superior

Reading and Listening Proficiency Levels

Each Reading and Listening test question has an associated level. Because the Reading and Listening sections are computer-adaptive, the test taker experiences questions at various levels. The algorithm used to determine the test taker’s scores for Reading and Listening looks at the number of questions that were answered correctly at each test question level.

The Rating Process for Writing and Speaking Responses

Scoring for Writing and Speaking responses is done using the following three-step process and associated rubric.

STEP 1

Overall evaluation of the response to assess for Ratability — is the response on topic and appropriate for the given prompt/task? If the response is off topic, contains any profanity or includes any menacing or threatening language, the response will be treated as unresponsive or non-ratable and the test taker will receive a “NR” score for that task.

STEP 2

Evaluation of each ratable response to determine a Proficiency Level based upon the Text-Type characteristics.

STEP 3

The system will then post a rating for each of the tasks, according to the rubric below. The individual scores are then used to calculate the score for the domain.

Each ratable Writing and Speaking response will have a score of either Superior, Advanced Low, Mid or High, Intermediate Low, Mid or High, or Novice Low, Mid or High.

Note: 20% of all test taker scores are rated by a second rater to assist in tracking rater accuracy and reliability.

The test taker’s Proficiency Levels in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking will be displayed on the Testing Group Details screen. See the APT Reporting Guide for more information.